Control of Body Systems - Nervous and Endocrine Systems

Vocabulary flashcards covering the comparison between nervous and endocrine control systems, brain anatomy, sensory/motor pathways, and reflex classification based on Module 1 Part 1 lecture notes.

Nervous System

A control system designed for rapid responses that utilizes action potentials and neurotransmitters, operated either consciously via the cerebrum or subconsciously via reflexes.

Endocrine System

A control system designed for slower, more prolonged responses that utilizes hormones transported in the blood and is controlled via feedback loops.

Peripheral Nervous System

The division of the nervous system composed of 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves.

Central Nervous System

The structural division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

Brain Structures

The four main regions of the brain comprising the cerebrum, diencephalon, brainstem, and cerebellum.

Cerebral Cortex

A 2-4mm layer of grey matter following the contours of the gyri and sulci where conscious thought and recognition of stimuli occur.

Sensory Pathway

The ascending neural path carrying information from a receptor via sensory/afferent neurons through the spinal cord and brainstem to the thalamus in the diencephalon, which relays it to the cerebral cortex.

Motor Pathway

The descending neural path carrying conscious decisions to move from the cerebral cortex through motor tracts in the cerebrum, brainstem, and spinal cord to synapse with an efferent neuron that travels to an effector organ.

Conscious Control

Voluntary control involving the Central Nervous System that integrates multiple brain areas for complicated actions, requiring nerve impulses to travel great distances across more synapses, which slows reaction time.

Reflex

An involuntary, rapid, predictable, and unlearnt response to a stimulus that uses a specific neural pathway or reflex arc and can bypass conscious brain involvement.

Somatic Reflexes

Reflexes dealing with skeletal muscles that function to remove the body from painful stimuli or maintain balance and posture, using either the spinal cord or brain as an integration centre.

Autonomic Reflexes

Visceral reflexes involved in maintaining bodily functions by controlling smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, or body viscera, such as regulating heart rate, blood pressure, and micturition.